KOTA TINGGI, March 16 — A 43-year-old excavator operator was charged at the Magistrate’s Court here today with killing his wife in Taman Sri Saujana earlier this month.
The accused, Mohd Hanafi Patahur Rahim, only indicated that he understood the charge after it was read out to him by an interpreter in front of Magistrate Rashidah Baharom.
However, no plea was recorded from the accused.
According to the charge, Mohd Hanafi is accused of killing his 38-year-old wife at a house in Taman Sri Saujana here at 3.30am, on March 1.
He was charged under Section 302 of the Penal Code with murder, which carries the mandatory death penalty upon conviction.
Prosecution was conducted by the Johor prosecution director Tengku Amir Zaki Tengku Abd Rahman and Deputy Public Prosecutor Muhammad Syafiq Mohd Ghazali.
Mohd Hanafi was not represented during the proceedings.
The court set April 18 for the mention date pending the chemical, forensic and autopsy reports.
In a separate proceeding at the Sessions Court, Mohd Hanafi was sentenced to 20 years’ imprisonment after pleading guilty to four charges of possessing two rifles and 64 rounds of ammunition of various brands without a permit.
Judge Zahilah Mohammad Yusof ordered the sentence start from the date of his arrest on March 1.
According to the first to fourth charges, the accused was charged with possessing an unmarked rifle and a Canon Super Model 737 CAL 177 rifle, as well as 64 rounds of ammunition of various brands.
Mohd Hanafi was accused of committing the offence at two houses, namely in Ladang Pasir Panjang and Taman Sri Saujana in Kota Tinggi at 11.30am to 9pm on March 1.
He was charged under Section 4 of the Firearms Act 1960, which provides for imprisonment for up to seven years or a fine not exceeding RM10,000 or both, upon conviction.
Meanwhile, the 32-year-old friend of the suspect, who was remanded at the same time, was released under court bond.
On March 5, it was reported that police managed to solve the mystery surrounding the alleged disappearance of a 38-year-old woman who allegedly ran away from home after her body was found inside a plastic barrel buried in an open field near Bandar Penawar in Kota Tinggi.
The suspect was believed to have earlier shot his wife while she was sleeping in their family home in Taman Saujana, Kota Tinggi.
Johor police chief Datuk Ayob Khan Mydin Pitchay was reported to have said that the act was believed to be motivated by jealousy apart and triggered by the suspect’s wife who had earlier filed for divorce.
